On October 11, the trilateral naval exercise started Autumn 23. The purpose of the exercise is to train to discover and meet different types of underwater threats together. A total of 18 vessels from Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom participate.
During the period 11–18 October, the Navy will conduct a major exercise in the Stockholm archipelago and Lake Gotska. Autumn 23 is a trilateral naval exercise carried out together with naval units from Finland and the United Kingdom. All three countries are members of the multinational defence cooperation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which can quickly act in the event of crisis and war, either alone or together with NATO.
“Finland is our closest strategic defence partner. Cooperation and partnership with other countries increases the operational effect and deters war. By exercising with other nations, we strengthen our cooperation, interoperability and military capability, which in turn increases stability and security in the Baltic Sea region,” says Commander Anders Bäckström, Commander of the Fourth Naval Flotilla.
The purpose of the exercise is to practice detecting and responding to different types of underwater threats together.
“The Navy has a well-developed ability to detect and respond to various underwater threats. Through this exercise, our crews, sensor and weapons operators receive a lot of training, and are trained to solve this type of task together, in combined units and together with other nations, Anders Bäckström continues.
The naval exercise Autumn 23 is also the first opportunity for the Swedish Armed Forces to exercise the basic command and maintenance chain within the Navy with the new naval base battalions, which were established at the beginning of October.
In parallel with the naval exercise, extensive naval activities are taking place in both the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Among other things, the leaders of the ten JEF countries will meet in Visby on 13 October. On 14 October, the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives in Sweden.
“The meeting and the naval visit will be followed by continued JEF exercises to jointly strengthen the ability to respond to hostile attacks in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea region,” says Anders Bäckström.
FACTS: NAVAL EXERCISE AUTUMN 23
- What: The purpose of the exercise is to practice detecting and responding to different types of underwater threats together.
- When: October 11–18
- Where: Stockholm archipelago and Lake Gotska
- Participants: Third and Fourth Naval Flotilla, First Submarine Flotilla, Stockholm Amphibious Regiment, Naval Base, Helicopter Wing, Command and Control Regiment, Coast Guard and naval units from Finland and Great Britain. A total of 18 vessels are included, as well as shore-based personnel. A total of about 500 personnel from the Navy will participate.
FACTS: JOINT EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (JEF)
- JEF is a defense cooperation between 10 countries where the UK is the framework nation.
- The JEF is primarily intended for operations in the Baltic Sea region, the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
- The JEF can act quickly in the event of a crisis or war, either alone or together with NATO or the UN.
- Sweden has been part of the JEF since 2017.
- The nations that are part of the JEF are: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom